AI systems flag 19.9 billion suspected spam calls, SMS in Q2: TRAI
Telecom operators flagged 18.28 billion incoming calls and 1.62 billion SMS messages as suspected spam during July–September 2026, while more than 124,000 telecom resources faced enforcement action.
The systems analyse calling patterns to identify suspected spam originating from regular 10-digit mobile numbers that may bypass regulated commercial communication channels.
NEW DELHI: Artificial intelligence-based systems deployed by telecom operators flagged 19.9 billion suspected spam calls and SMS messages during July–September 2026, highlighting the growing use of automated detection to curb unsolicited commercial communications.
According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) quarterly report on action against Unsolicited Commercial Communications (UCC), released on Friday, AI-based systems flagged 18.28 billion incoming calls and 1.62 billion incoming SMS messages as suspected spam during the second quarter of FY 2026-27.
The systems analyse calling patterns to identify suspected spam originating from regular 10-digit mobile numbers that may bypass regulated commercial communication channels. Telecom operators have also started issuing warnings to entities suspected of sending spam, alerting them to possible regulatory action.
The report, compiled from information furnished by telecom service providers, recorded 1.529 million UCC complaints during the quarter. Of these, 723,000 were classified as actionable complaints.
More than 124,000 telecom resources face action
Enforcement measures during the quarter included barring 110,325 telecom resources for 15 days for first violations and disconnecting 13,777 resources for one year for repeated violations.
TRAI also reported that 374 senders were blacklisted for one year and 3,725 SMS headers were blocked.
In all, action was taken against more than 124,000 telecom resources, alongside the blacklisting of senders, as part of efforts to curb repeat violations.
The country recorded 714.01 billion originated calls during the quarter. The 1.529 million UCC complaints represented approximately 2.14 complaints per million calls.
TRAI DND App accounts for 92.9% of complaints
Consumer reporting through the TRAI Do Not Disturb (DND) App continued to be a major source of spam complaints. Of the 1.529 million UCC complaints received during the quarter, 1.421 million, or 92.9%, were submitted through the app.
The app had recorded 4.236 million downloads as of September 30, 2026.
TRAI said awareness initiatives during the quarter included campaigns across 132 FM channels, 15 All India Radio FM channels, 23 private television channels, two Doordarshan channels and 97 newspapers. It also conducted 322 consumer awareness programmes, reaching around 31,000 participants.
More than three billion SMS messages were sent between July and September to encourage consumers to use the DND App and report unsolicited communications.
Over 1.12 billion subscribers yet to register DND preferences
The report showed that 224.49 million subscribers had registered their preferences in the DND registry as of September 30, representing 16.64% of the country’s total subscriber base of 1.349 billion.
More than 1.12 billion subscribers had not registered any preference and therefore remained accessible to commercial communications from registered telemarketers and senders.
Consumers can register or modify their preferences through the TRAI DND App, their telecom service provider’s app or website, or by calling or sending an SMS to 1909.
Billions of promotional calls and messages blocked
The designated numbering series introduced by TRAI are also being used to distinguish different categories of commercial communication.
The 140 series is designated for promotional calls, while the 1600 series is used for service and transactional calls by entities in banking, financial services and insurance, as well as government-to-citizen communications. A 1601 series was introduced on August 10, 2026, for service and transactional calls from utilities, logistics and delivery entities.
During the quarter, 15.27 billion promotional calls originated through the 140 series, while 1.70 billion calls were blocked after verification against consumers’ registered DND preferences.
Registered senders and telemarketers originated 660.71 billion commercial SMS messages, of which 11.09 billion promotional messages were blocked based on registered preferences.
TRAI said the dedicated numbering series and AI-based detection measures were intended to improve transparency, consumer choice and enforcement against unsolicited communications.
